concerning the Fuhl Event.” They had shared long sessions on the matter, the Prime acting as inquisitor.
“I know nothing about the mechanism,” Pangloss whispered.
The indicators showed that Pangloss lied. The ability of this weak Homo sapien to resist questioning at this point was incredible. It was another reason the Prime kept the old scientist alive. What gave this Homo sapien the ability to resist? It was unnatural and therefore—no. As Prime, it was the ultimate and therefore well beyond fear. It wanted to understand the stamina of this frail creature. From thousands of such tortured specimens, only three had shown such resistance. Where did their strength come from?
The Prime would have liked to pursue the idea. But it planned the Neptune Campaign that would give it the Solar System. The victor here would likely win everything. The doctor’s lie now was good, for it would help signal further lies on the critical topic. If Pangloss lied again, the Prime would severely punish the man.
“Are you familiar with the Sunbeam?” the Prime asked.
“No,” Dr. Pangloss said.
By the indicators, the Homo sapien spoke the truth. Therefore, for the next hour, the Prime explained the newly discovered experimental weapon to the old scientist.
“The Highborn have been busy,” Dr. Pangloss said later.
“They are an aggressive species, volatile in all their actions, including scientific discovery.”
“So it would appear,” Pangloss said.
“I have stated it. Therefore, it is the truth.”
“As you say,” murmured Dr. Pangloss.
“I find you an irritant,” the Prime said. “My desire to expunge you has grown exponentially.”
The tiniest of smiles touched the doctor’s lips. “Touche,” he said.
“Explain that statement,” the Prime said, his speaker rising in volume.
“It is simple. In fact, I’m surprised an ultimate creation like you doesn’t understand.”
Part of the Web-Mind detected rising anger in itself, and the monitor programs activated the needed sequence to wash the main brain tissues with soothing chemicals. Perhaps it had used the chemicals too often these past few hours. The sequence did not begin in time due to an unforeseen glitch. Because of that, the anger continued to grow exponentially.
How dare the horrible little human act smugly? How dare this gnat of a being attempt to act superior toward the ultimate of reality?
Radio beams issued from the Prime to the three skeletal cyborgs in the chamber with Dr. Pangloss. One of the cyborgs moved toward the human. The old man’s eyes widened in fear and understanding. The cyborg reached out with its titanium-reinforced hands. It clutched Dr. Pangloss’s head, and it began to twist the head around.
At the last moment, Pangloss laughed shrilly just before he screamed. His neck bones cracked, snapped—and he was dead, gone from this world.
Seven seconds later, the calming agents soothed the angry portions of the Prime. It instantly regretted the action. Now it would have to ask another Homo sapien the question, one less clever and able than Dr. Pangloss.
The question was simple, and the answer seemed obvious. But the Prime wanted an inventor to think it through. The great question was this: Could the Sunbeam reach with destructive power farther than Mars? And if so, how far? The possibility was troubling, to say the least.
The Prime began the process where it would send a long-distance message to its Lurkers near the Sun. It was time to capture the Sun Station and eliminate any possibility for its defeat.
-7-
With their added passenger and the loss of too many space marines, the
The days blurred together as the boat glided toward its new objective, the one given by Felix. As they journeyed, Venus methodically swung around the Sun. The bright planet completed an orbit every two hundred and twenty-five days.
Once, Venus had been enshrouded in yellowish-white clouds of sulfuric acid. Centuries ago, the great terraforming project had begun. Rockets seeded the clouds with specially-mutated bacteria. The bacteria fed on the sulfuric acid, slowly dissipating it. Unfortunately, Venus lacked enough water. Therefore, space-tugs had captured comets and ice-asteroids from Jupiter and Saturn, maneuvering them into near orbit and sending them down. Then construction began on a gigantic sunshield at the Sun-Venus Lagrangian point. The sunshield dampened the amount of solar radiation hitting the surface, which helped reduce the planet’s temperature. The sunshield was also a vast solar-power satellite, collecting energy and micro-beaming it to stations on the planet. Unfortunately, it was still hot on Venus, desperately so, usually one hundred and thirty degrees Fahrenheit in the coolest places. Still, with the terraforming, it allowed human life without domes, without underground cities. Vast, specially-mutated jungles covered the planet, with mutated crops grown in the jungles.
Marten and Osadar mapped what they could of the void, never daring to use the active sensors. Mercury and the Sun-Works Factory were presently on the other side of the Sun.
Felix informed them Maximus led the Highborn on Venus. They controlled the laser-satellites ringing the planet. The four shuttles had originated from there, and with Felix’s help, Marten discovered two other missile-ships in orbit.
“Are those renegade SU craft?” Marten asked.
Felix shook his head. “They’re modified missile-ships, captured vessels kept hidden until now. They are Maximus’s fleet. In the absence of the Doom Stars, those ships form the most powerful fleet in Inner Planets.”
The days became another week. Finally, they crossed Venus’s orbital path as they continued toward the Sun.
As the cyborgs completed their conquest of Mars—attempting to capture the
“There should have been a signal by now,” Felix said.
“Do you think Maximus found your base?” asked Marten.
“The Commandant is a clever soldier. It’s a possibility.” Felix grew sullen, moodily clenching his fists as he sat by himself. It was like having a lion among them, a restless beast. At all times, Omi, Osadar or Marten secretly watched him, with a needler ready.
A day later, Marten spotted something dim on the sensor screen. Hunching forward with excitement, Marten rechecked his readings. Soon, he began monitoring the sensors closely, looking for radio-signals and energy readouts.
Nadia sat at the weapons officer’s chair. She must have seen something different in him. Learning near, she whispered, “Is that it?”
Something in her voice must have alerted Osadar, who sat in the pilot’s chair. The cyborg swiveled around. “You’ve found the planet-wrecker?”
Marten nodded.
Several of the planet-wreckers launched nearly three years ago had missed Earth and tumbled into the outer void. Apparently, the Sun had captured at least one. Now, the asteroid orbited the fiery star, remaining near the Sun. It was Felix’s secret base.
“Summon the Highborn,” Marten said. “He’ll want to see this.”
Soon, the nine-foot giant loomed behind Marten.
“Check the readings,” Marten said. “The asteroid looks deserted.”
Felix glowered as he read the screen, and his breathing became audible, like that of an angry bull.
Marten’s back prickled, and Nadia leaned away from the Highborn.
“If they were there,” Osadar said, “you would have picked up radio signals or other life-signs.”
